The Lazy Girl's Shortcut to Sexy Hair: The Messy Side Braid

You know, there's a reason messy side braids never seem to go out of style: They're super sexy and incredibly easy to pull off. Check this one out here on actress Elsa Pataky:

It's a little hard to see the braiding action from this side: But you can definitely see it here: The key here is that although the braid itself is messy, her hair locks are well-maintained--she doesn't have any frizz going on and her hair is pretty shiny. And the top of her hair, while soft and touchable, isn't all over the place—she keeps the chaos contained within the braid. It's pretty much the perfect recipe for a great messy side braid.

If you're going to go for the controlled mess thing yourself, here's a little secret: Think of your braid as a regular braid while you're creating it. Then after you secure it with a hair elastic, back and "rough up" areas with your fingers. If try to make the braid look messy from the get-go, you'll end up with all your layers poking out of the plait.